Parshat Ki Teitzei

1,423 related texts · Page 8 of 30

Seventy-four commandments covering family law, honest business practices, treatment of workers, and remembering Amalek. Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19.

The Priest Who Blessed Israel With God's Name

Apocrypha Ben Sira 45:19

The Book of Ben Sira, a treasure trove of wisdom literature, gives us a glimpse into this very idea, specifically through the lens of the priesthood. It speaks of one called to "mi...

TorahDivine NamesHoly LandSacrifice

Phinehas Beyond the Firmament

Apocrypha Ben Sira 50:25

Incense fills the air, music swells, and then Simon the High Priest appears. He's just completed the sacred service, and the sight is so breathtaking, so imbued with holiness, that...

HeavenNoah & FloodTorahSoul

Israel's Enemies and the Foolish Nation at Shechem

Apocrypha Ben Sira 51:1

Ben Sira, that wise sage from centuries ago, knew the feeling. He even wrote about it. He mentions "the inhabitants of Seir and Philistia; And the foolish nation that dwelleth in S...

SolomonTorahSoulPrayer

Ben Sira's Journey

Apocrypha Ben Sira 51:32

That’s how I feel every time I delve into the Book of Ben Sira. This passage from Ben Sira 51 – it's like a whispered confession, a peek into the author's journey. "See with your e...

TorahSoulPrayerWisdom

Moses Receives the Master Plan for Time on Sinai

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 1:1

It all starts with a divine download, so to speak. The book tells us it contains the secret history of how time is divided – days, weeks, years, and especially those big jubilees, ...

MosesTorahSinai

The Expanded Story of Moses on Mount Sinai

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 1:4

We all know the story: Moses goes up the mountain, gets the Ten Commandments, and comes back down. But what if there was more to the story? What if the Bible we know is just a glim...

CreationJosephMosesTorah

Olive Branch

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 1:14

It's almost like a prophetic warning echoing through the ages. This book, not included in the standard Hebrew Bible but considered canonical by some, dives deep into the potential ...

Noah & FloodJobTorah

How Jubilees Retells the Garden of Eden Story

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 3:17

It might surprise you to learn that some of it isn't directly from the Torah we read in synagogues. Let's talk about a text called the Book of Jubilees. The Book of Jubilees, also ...

TorahTempleAdam & EveBirth

God Sets the Rainbow as a Sign of Promise

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 6:25

Specifically, we're looking at chapter 6. This book, considered scripture by some Jewish groups in antiquity (like the Essenes who lived at Qumran), offers a fascinating perspectiv...

HeavenNoah & FloodTorahMiracles

Noah's Legacy

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 6:29

Think of it as a really old "director's cut" of the Bible. Specifically, we're looking at Jubilees 6. The passage is talking about a particular festival. What festival? Well, that’...

Noah & FloodPatriarchsTorahHoly Land

Written and Oral Law of Fifty

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 6:48

It offers a unique perspective on the calendar, one that's surprisingly precise... and maybe a little controversial. The passage focuses on dividing time: "from the first to the se...

TorahHoly LandTimeSun and moon

The Sacred Calendar That Keeps Time in Divine Harmony

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 6:52

The Book of Jubilees, a text not found in the Hebrew Bible but considered scripture by some, gets pretty specific about the calendar. It envisions a perfectly ordered world, where ...

TorahHoly LandTimeShabbat

Abram in the Holy Land

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 13:1

That’s the feeling I get when I read the story of Abram leaving Haran in the Book of Jubilees. Jubilees, if you’re not familiar, is an ancient Jewish text that retells the stories ...

Holy LandHumorAbrahamAdam & Eve

The Covenant Sealed With Isaac Not Ishmael

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 15:25

We're in the aftermath of a huge moment: God’s promise to Abraham. But it's not just any promise; it's a covenant. A sacred agreement. God tells Abraham, "My covenant shall I estab...

Noah & FloodPatriarchsMatriarchsTorah

Abraham and the Patriarchs of Mamre

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 16:1

The Book of Jubilees, a text not found in the Hebrew Bible but considered scripture by some, pulls back the curtain on some pretty intense family drama, and the consequences of not...

PatriarchsTorahRepentanceJudgment

Isaac — Covenant of Abraham

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 21:7

Like one wrong step and… well, you know. In the Book of Jubilees, we find this intense father-to-son talk that feels exactly like that—a guide to staying on that path. It’s like a ...

HeavenNoah & FloodTorahTemple

When Lifespans Shrunk to Seventy Years

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 23:27

You’re not alone. The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating Jewish text from around the 2nd century BCE, wrestles with this very feeling. It imagines a future time where people lament th...

Noah & FloodTorahRepentance

Reuben and the Patriarchs of Bilhah

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 33:17

Let’s delve into a fascinating corner of Jewish thought to explore just that. We're turning to the Book of Jubilees, a text considered apocryphal by some, but a treasure trove of i...

PatriarchsTorahRepentanceHoly Land

The Mechanics of Forgiveness in Jubilees 41

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 41:28

The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text from the Second Temple period, offers a powerful glimpse into the mechanics of forgiveness, and it all starts with a transgression. Cha...

TorahProphecyRepentance

The Passover Lamb Slaughtered at Twilight

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 49:1

We all know about the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the giving of the Ten Commandments. But what about the details that fill in the cracks, the "behind-the-scenes" momen...

JosephTorahHoly LandEgypt

The Passover Laws According to Jubilees

Apocrypha Book of Jubilees 49:12

The Book of Jubilees, also sometimes called Lesser Genesis, is considered apocryphal by many Jews and Protestants, but canonical in Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Christianity. Ap...

TorahHoly LandHolidays

Marriage of Tobiyyah of Sarah

Apocrypha Book of Tobit 8:2

That’s the space Tobiyyah and Sarah find themselves in in the Book of Tobit. Imagine this: you’re newly married, but your spouse has a bit of a history. A history of… seven dead hu...

CreationHeavenAdam & EvePatriarchs

Tobias Offers Half His Fortune to the Angel

Apocrypha Book of Tobit 12:3

The Book of Tobit, a beautiful story nestled within the Apocrypha, touches on just that. It's a tale filled with faith, healing, and the surprising intervention of angels. We find ...

HeavenAngelsPatriarchsMatriarchs

Letter — Translating the Torah

Apocrypha Letter of Aristeas 1:76

That’s the kind of artistry we encounter in the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating document that purports to describe the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, creating what w...

ProphecyKabbalahWorshipAdam & Eve

Dietary Laws That Teach Virtue and Self-Control

Apocrypha Letter of Aristeas 1:150

It's easy to dismiss them as arbitrary, ancient dietary restrictions. But what if there's something much deeper going on? Something about character, about virtue, about becoming th...

TorahHeresyKabbalahDivine justice

Hidden Wisdom Behind the Laws of Kashrut

Apocrypha Letter of Aristeas 1:162

It's easy to dismiss them as outdated or just plain weird. But what if there's a deeper wisdom hidden within? The Letter of Aristeas, an ancient text, gives us a fascinating perspe...

TorahDivine justiceWisdomHeresy

Eleazar Receives the Torah

Apocrypha Letter of Aristeas 1:173

Isn't it amazing how a single letter can sometimes open a window into a whole world? A world of ancient cultures, political intrigue, and deep-seated beliefs? That's precisely what...

TorahTempleKabbalahAdam & Eve

To Whom Should a King Show Generosity

Apocrypha Letter of Aristeas 1:228

I'm talking about the Letter of Aristeas. It's an incredible text that purports to describe how the Septuagint, that famous Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, came to be. But t...

TorahSoulFriendshipKings

Ptolemy and the Rabbis of Piety

Apocrypha Letter of Aristeas 1:230

The Letter of Aristeas, an ancient text purporting to be a firsthand account of the translation of the Torah into Greek, gives us some fascinating insights. It’s not just about pow...

ProphecyKingsKabbalahTorah

How the Septuagint Translators Spent Their Days

Apocrypha Letter of Aristeas 1:305

That's the picture the Letter of Aristeas paints for us, a glimpse into the lives of the 70 (or 72, depending on the tradition) Jewish scholars tasked with translating the Torah in...

TorahKingsKabbalahAdam & Eve

Covenant of King Antiochus

Apocrypha Megillat Antiochus 1:13

This is the world Megillat Antiochus throws us into. The story begins with a chilling proposition, whispered amongst the advisors of King Antiochus. "Come now," they urged, "let us...

Noah & FloodJosephTorahTemple

Antiochus Sends Bagris to Avenge Nicanor's Death

Apocrypha Megillat Antiochus 1:30

Antiochus, king of the Seleucid Empire, knew that feeling all too well. Imagine this: you're a powerful ruler, used to getting your way. Then you hear the news: your viceroy, Nican...

Noah & FloodJosephTorahHoly Land

Eight Days of Hanukkah Ordained for All Generations

Apocrypha Megillat Antiochus 1:74

It's more than just latkes and dreidels. It's a story of courage, faith, and a miraculous victory against all odds. But where do we really get the details of that story? We all kno...

HeavenAdam & EveTorahTemple

Legacy of the Forefathers

Apocrypha Psalm 154 1:19

It paints a picture of a community whose very speech and thoughts are a force for good. It begins by telling us where their minds are: "Their meditation is on the Law of the Most H...

PatriarchsTorahSoulHoly Land

Hellenizers Within Israel Betray Their Own People

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 1:17

Our tale begins in the year 137 of the Greek kingdom. Now, this wasn't just any kingdom; it was the sprawling empire that Alexander the Great had forged, now fractured and ruled by...

Noah & FloodTorahHoly LandCovenant

Mattathias in Battle

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 2:72

It’s a scene straight out of the Book of Maccabees, a story of courage, faith, and family legacy. Imagine this: Mattathias, the patriarch, the spark that ignited the Maccabean revo...

TorahWarHumorChanukah

Judas Takes the Sword of His Fallen Enemy

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 3:15

Sometimes, those objects become more than just reminders. They become imbued with the spirit of the victory itself. That’s exactly what happened with Judas Maccabeus. After a parti...

TorahHoly LandWarMaccabees

Judas Maccabeus and the Torah

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 3:41

We find them, in the Book of Maccabees I, facing down an army camped at Emmaus, in the plain country. A formidable force, poised to crush the rebellion. Remember, this is all happe...

TorahHoly LandMaccabeesChanukah

Written and Oral Law of Temple

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 4:49

The Temple in Jerusalem, once defiled, was now back in Jewish hands. But it was in ruins. Imagine the scene: broken stones, desecrated spaces, a palpable sense of loss hanging in t...

TorahTempleProphecySacrifice

Ptolemy's Journey

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 11:5

That’s the feeling I get when I read this passage from the First Book of Maccabees. We're in the midst of political machinations and power plays in the ancient Levant. Ptolemy, a k...

TorahTempleHellenismMaccabees

Simon Maccabeus Studies Torah

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 14:14

It paints a picture of Simon Maccabeus, a leader who didn't just rule, but rebuilt. The text tells us, "He provided victuals for the cities, and set in them all manner of munition,...

TorahHoly LandMaccabeesDivine justice

Ptolemy Assassinates Simon at a Banquet in Jericho

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I 16:15

The story of Simon Maccabeus, as told in the First Book of Maccabees, resonates with that unsettling truth. We find Simon, the leader who helped liberate Judea, doing what leaders ...

TorahJoshuaAdam & EveChanukah

A Wicked Root Named Antiochus Epiphanes

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees I (Kahana Translation) 1:11

We’re dropped right into a world teetering on the edge. The passage speaks of a time after a ruler's death, a time when his sons, dripping with royal ambition, seize power. "And th...

DemonsNoah & FloodTorahHoly Land

Faith of Jeremiah

Apocrypha The Book of Maccabees II 2:5

The story centers around the prophet Jeremiah, a towering figure in Jewish tradition, known for his prophecies and lamentations. The text tells us that Jeremiah, deeply concerned a...

Noah & FloodMosesTorahProphecy

Nimrod and Creation of Babel

Book of Jasher Jasher 11

But what about the generations that followed? What were they up to? The Book of Jasher, an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), offers so...

CreationHeavenNoah & FloodTorah

Wisdom of Rikayon

Book of Jasher Jasher 14

We often associate it with powerful Egyptian rulers, but its origins are a bit…unconventional, to say the least. Buckle up, because the Book of Jasher has a wild story to tell abou...

Adam & EveJosephMosesTorah

Four Kings March Against Sodom With 800,000 Men

Book of Jasher Jasher 16

Sometimes, looking to other texts can give us a fuller picture. Take, for example, this passage from the Book of Jasher. It begins with a rumble of war. Chedorlaomer, king of Elam,...

CreationHeavenAngelsNoah & Flood

The Wicked Judges of Sodom and Their Cruel Laws

Book of Jasher Jasher 19

We all know the story of their destruction, but the Book of Jasher, a non-canonical Jewish text that elaborates on stories from the Hebrew Bible, really paints a vivid picture. Cha...

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaPatriarchs